Glendale eighth-grader taken to hospital after smoking 'spice'

A Challenger Middle School student was taken to the hospital after smoking "spice" Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Glendale police responded to a welfare check at the school after two students were believed to have smoked spice, a synthetic-marijuana product, and were experiencing some of the effects, according to Glendale police spokeswoman Tracey Breeden.

The Glendale Fire Department was on scene to check out the students medically, she said.

Jim Cummings, spokesman for the Glendale Elementary School District, said the two eighth-grade girls smoked spice on their way to school.

One of the girls had a bad reaction and checked in with the school counselor, who took her to the nurse, Cummings said.

The nurse called 911 and the student was taken to the hospital, Cummings said.

He said the student's condition is unknown, but her father is at the hospital with her.

The other student was sent home with her parents, Cummings said.

Officials at the school, 6905 W. Maryland Ave., will call the homes of their students to notify families of the incident.

A National Institute on Drug Abuse report in November found that nearly one in nine high-school seniors had gotten high on synthetic marijuana compounds in the past year, second only to the number of teens who used marijuana, according to a report in USA Today last month.

Arizona lawmakers last year banned many of the chemicals used to make spice.